Oil and gas well drilling operations typically require drilling mud to be circulated throughout the system. As drilling mud is recirculated during downhole drilling operations, debris from earth formations, drill bit cuttings, shavings, and other abrasive articles may damage sensitive downhole equipment. Filters used to collect the debris are known in the art. Often these filters are placed in an uppermost drill pipe of a drill string. As new pipe is added to the drill string, the filter is removed, dumped out and cleaned, hoisted to the top of the derrick, and placed into the newly attached uppermost pipe in the drill string.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,165,633 to Hall et al., which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses a drilling fluid filter for placement within a bore of a tubular drill string component. The drilling fluid filter includes a perforated receptacle with an open end and a closed end. A hanger for engagement with the wall is mounted at the open end of the perforated receptacle. A mandrel is adjacent and attached to the open end of the perforated receptacle. A linkage connects the mandrel to the hanger. The linkage may be selected from the group consisting of struts, articulated struts and cams. The mandrel operates on the hanger through the linkage to engage and disengage the drilling fluid filter from the tubular drill string component. The mandrel may have a stationary portion having a first attachment to the open end of the perforated receptacle and a telescoping adjustable portion having a second attachment to the linkage. The mandrel may also have a top-hole interface for top-hole equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,275,594 to Hall et al., which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses a tool string stab guide for axially aligning first tool string components with second tool string components. The stab guide has a body with an axial length along a longitudinal axis with a first and a second section. The first section of the body is adapted for removable attachment within a bore of a tool string component. The second section of the body has a centering element with a flow channel. The ratio of the axial length to the diameter is at least 2:1.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,029 to Hall et al., which is herein incorporated by reference for all it contains, discloses a filter for a drill string comprising a perforated receptacle having an open end, a perforated end, a first mounting surface adjacent to the open end and a second mounting surfaces adjacent to the open end. A transmission element is disposed within each of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface. A capacitor may modify electrical characteristics of an LC circuit that are a part of the transmission elements. The respective transmission elements are in communication with each other and with a transmission network integrated into the drill string. The transmission elements may be inductive couplers, direct electrical contacts, or optical couplers. In some embodiments, the filter includes an electronic component. The electronic component may be selected from the group consisting of a sensor, a router, a power source, a clock source, a repeater, and an amplifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,546 to Herst, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses a filter system for filtering drill bit cuttings, shavings, and other abrasive articles from a drilling mud that is passed through an oil or gas well drilling system that includes an overhead drilling system, a drill string connected to the overhead drilling system, and a mud filter for filtering the drilling mud, wherein the mud filter is disposed within a drilling mud fluid passage that extends from the entry point of the drilling mud into the overhead drilling system and the entry point of the drilling mud into the drill string.